Automatic spring-gun.



No. 836,453. 'PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

B. MULLER-BRALITZ.

AUTOMATIC SPRING GUN.

APPLICATION FILED man. 1904.

Wnesses. WW 5 v @fimmww ERWIN MULLER-BRALITZ, OF CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY.

AUTOMATIC SPRING-GUN.

No. 836/i53.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed December 15, 1904. Serial No. 236,910.

To all, whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERWIN MiiLLER-BRA- l LITZ, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at Charlottenburg, near Berlin, Germany, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements-in Automatic Spring-Guns for the Killing of Birds, &c., of i scar-lug w, the sear ring and lug fitting so which the following is a specification.

Automatic spring-guns for such purpose are already known.

larly necessary for birds that the apparatus should be made in some form as little strik- I It is, however, particu- Surrounding the hammer-tube c is the sear-ring w, secured to the inner side of which is the sear-lug w, which projects into the hammer-tube 0 through a suitable perforation in. such a manner that the hammer 7c when in the retracted position (shown in Fig. 1) is caught and held in such position by the loosely that when the ring is brought into contact with the trigger-lug 0, rigidly secured upon the inner side of the outer tube or casing as possible in order that the bird, instead of being scared by its appearance, may perch upon it without suspicion.

hitherto made and has prevented their acceptance for permanent use.

One of the main novelties in the invention This has always been the chief disadvantage of the devices 5 ing n, the lug to will be released from the hammer is and the same driven forward by the spring Z, all as shown in Fig. 6.

The outer tube or casing n is provided at the bottom with; an open-ended slot 9, and fitting in this slot is a screw 1", screwed into thestaff a, and slipping down over the screw is the sccuring-spring 9, provided. with catch herein shown lies in the fact that the gun j itself, as well as the whole of the component 1 parts necessary to its operation, are concealed in a thin smooth casing surmounted by a knob of a diameter so proportioned to the pole as to ofier to the bird an inviting perch and at the same time act as a protection for the lock and mechanism.

Said invention is fully shown and described in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, wherein similar letters of reference designate like or equivalent parts wherever found throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a view of such invention in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a view in detail of the gun concealed in the casing as it appears when removed. therefrom. Fig. 3 is an exterior view of the entire device ready for use. Figs. 4 and 5 are top views of the device, taken in cross-section on the lines A B and C D of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section of the firing portion of the de vice, showing the position of the parts at the instant of firing.

Referring to the drawings, the referenceletter a designates a suitable supportingstaif, usually of wood and of cylindrical form. Within a suitable cylindrical hollow formed in the top of this staff and secured therein by means of a set-screw b is the lower end of the metallic cylindrical hammer-tube c. Secured to the lower end of this tube at f is the hammer-spring Z, which is coiled around the rear portion of the firing-bolt or hammer 7c.

position.

8 and secured to the outer side of the casing 72 by the nut m, securing the trigger-lug 0 in The screw 7" thus is covered. by catch 8 when the gun is fired.

The outer tube or casing n is secured to a cylindrical projection of the perch-knob t, as shown, through which passes to the interior of the perch-knob a metallic sleeve at, having a flange as, by which the same is secured to the perch-block, and upon the lower projecting end of the sleeve 00 is secured the'spiral spring p, which surrounds the firing-barrel d, extending upward through the sleeve 01: and provided at the bottom with the stud h, by which the same is removably secured to the hammer-tube c by means of the bayonet joint slot 72, small holes 1' being formed in and through the hammer-tube, so that air-cushioning of the hammer it will be prevented. The knob or perch t is so formed with a central conical cavity E that the gunbarrel d when in position will extend nearly to the center of such cavity.

To guard against the possible entrance of rain-water, the knob or perch t is only provided with a small hole 12 sulficient for the passage of the bullet, and should water enter through this hole it is discharged through the rearwardly-extending side openings a, which also serve for the immediate escape of the gases created by the explosion. The is loaded by first removing the outer tube 11., then removing the barrel (1 from the tube n, reversing the same, and inserting the front end in the hammer-tube 0, when by forcing the barrel down into the hammer-tube c the hammer or firing-bolt k is pushed back till its I head is caught by the lug w of the ring w. A cartridge 6 is then inserted and the parts reassembled into the position shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the device is as follows: According to habit the bird settles to rest or to look about for prey on any high object which offers a wide prospect, the most suitable being the summit of a pole, and it is therefore as a result of this observation that the automatic springgun, which is purposely made in'this form to offer a smooth tempting perch on theend of a pole or any other high and open place, (such as a roof-comb or tree,) is fastened by means of a screw or otherwise. As soon as a bird settles on the knob or perch of the apparatus its weight presses the covering-tube a downward against the tension of the spring 2) till the trigger-lug 0 touches the ring w and releases the hammer 7c. The hammer or firing-bolt thus freed is thrown upward by the spring Z and, striking the cartridge 6, fires it so that the bird is killed by the shot which strikes it from directly beneath its center of gravity without the possibility of missing. The strength of thespring p is regulated to suit the minimum weight of the particular bird desired or can, on the other hand, be made so strong that a sufficient downward movement of the covering-tube, and consequently movement of the releasing-lug and trigger, is only possible when the bird increases the pressure on the knob-perch t in preparing for flight.

' Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

I 1. In a device of the class described a staff, a tube reciprocating on one end of the staff, a spring normally keeping the tube in the outer position, a gun-barrel concealed within the tube, firing mechanism also concealed within the tube actuated uponthe inward movement of the tube, a ball-perch located at the outer end of the tube, having a central conical hollow into which the end of the gun-barrel extends in line with a bullethole, and backwardly-extending drainagepassages in communication with the central hollow of the ball-perch to the rear of the barrel end.

2. In a device of the class described a staff, a hammer-tube secured at the end of the staff, a coil-spring within the hammer-tube, a firing-bolt or hammer actuated by the coilspring, a sear-ring upon the hammer-tube, a sear-lug secured to the sear-ring extending into the hammer-tube for normally keeping the hammer or firing-bolt in a retracted position with the coil-spring under tension, a gun-barrel removably secured to the outer end of the hammer-tube, an outer tube or casing inclosing the barrel and hammer-tube reciprocating upon the staff, a trigger-lug l0- cated upon the inner side of the outer tube adapted to contact with the sear-ring and a spring normally holding the outer tube in such position that the ring and lug will be out of contact.

3. Inadevice of the class described a staff, a hammer-tube secured at the end of the staff, a coil-spring within the hammer-tube, a firing-bolt or hammer actuated by the coilspring, a sear-ring upon the hammer-tube, a sear-lug secured to the sear-ring extending into the hammer-tube for normally keeping the hammer or firing-bolt in a retracted position with the coil-spring under tension, a gun-barrel removably secured to the outer end of the hammer-tube, an outer tube or casing inclosing the barrel and hammer-tube and reciprocating upon the staff, a triggerlug located upon the inner side of the outer tube and adapted to contact with the sear ring, a spring normally holding the outer tube in such position that the ring and lug will be out of contact and a ball-perch having a passage for the bullet secured upon the outer end of the outer tube.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 30th day of November, 1904, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERWIN MULLER-BRALITZ Witnesses HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT. 

